If you’re like most gardeners, you probably have at least a few iris in your yard. iris are beautiful flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden. But do deer eat iris?
Deer do not usually eat iris. Iris are deer-resistant because of their strong scent and bitter taste. But a hungry deer will eat almost anything, which may include iris.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating iris can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your iris, and keep them healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Iris?
As we covered, deer usually stay away from iris thanks to their strong scent and bitter taste.
Deer are most likely to eat iris during spring because they’re hungry after a long winter, or if it’s late in fall and other food sources have been depleted.
Your iris are less susceptible to deer damage later in summer when many other food sources they prefer are available.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of iris in a single sitting if they’re hungry enough!
This was confirmed in a 1999 study on deer plant eating habits by Cornell University.
And don’t think that your newer iris are safer either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Are Iris Deer Resistant?
Iris are regarded as highly deer resistant thanks to their taste, scent, and texture, all of which deer do not like.
They were rated as “rarely damaged” in a study on deer resistant plants by Rutgers University.
The fuzzy falls are a turn-off for deer, as are the bitter taste of the flowers and leaves.
Deer have a keen sense of smell, and the strong scent of iris also repels them.
As we mentioned earlier, just because iris are deer resistant doesn’t mean they are completely safe from being eaten by deer.
You should always take additional steps to deter deer from your iris and other plants and flowers.
Read on to learn more.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Iris?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting iris from hungry deer: their habits, your scent, repellent options, and when you plant them.
Deer will eat nearly anything if they’re hungry enough, so your main goal is making your garden as least inviting to deer as possible.
Check out our guide on how to keep deer from eating plants where we cover 25 quick and easy tips for keeping hungry deer out of your garden.
Will My Iris Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, iris can bounce back from browsing by deer if given some care, attention, and time.
Irises grow from rhizomes, which are fleshy roots or underground bulbs, and they’ll usually regrow season after season.
So unless a deer ate the root or bulb out of the ground, you should see your irises bounce back next season with no problem.
Do Deer Eat Iris? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat iris plants?
Not usually, but they will if they’re hungry enough.
Deer will usually stay away from irises, but may eat them during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter or in late fall when other food sources have been depleted.
Have any observations to add to the discussion? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Check our our other helpful wildlife guides while you’re here:
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